Kent Christensen's Secrets of the Great Salt Lake

Painter Kent Christensen's Secrets of the Great Salt Lake is a virtuosic piece of visual satire representing early Utah history. Brigham Young rides a dinosaur in the lake while two trains bringing Jell-O, Snelgrove's ice cream, donuts, and toxic waste meet at Promontory Point for the driving of the Golden Spike. The state's animals frolic among recognizable tourist landmarks even while their existence is imperiled by climate change. Derived, in part, by Bosch's masterpiece, The Garden of Earthly Delights, Christensen's most complex painting yet is the topic of this episode along with a discussion of the purpose of satire, the relationships of illustration and fine art, and how a project that has taken 500 hours to create started.Liked this episode? Send us a text.